It was Sunday. We were hungry and thirsty. Larry Stein, Jon Cook and I convened at the Stupid’s Test Kitchen to see what Yaniger and JD would offer for our enjoyment.
Before any food was available, there were glasses of the 2006 Thürnhof Südtirol Goldmuskateller, which was a lovely brisk example of Spring Time wine. It would later go very well with a dish of fried artichoke, lemon, and asparagus, with exuberant Muscat pungency supported by just the right amount of layered texture (whatever that means!). I preferred it to the 2006 Bolognani Trentino Moscato Giallo, which was crisper, less substantial, and showed less character to my taste. A bit too lean and one-dimensional for me. Although it did have its fans at the table.
The white that was hard to beat was the 2006 Christophe Pichon Condrieu, which initially sparked a debate over how much oak had been employed, with some buttery notes that were not purely viognier. As the wine aired and warmed, the fruit rose to the occasion and by the end of the bottle was a lovely pudgy drink of Condrieu lace. I’m sure Larry will enjoy the rest of his bottles.
The purported theme of the evening was Southern French wines from the 1980s. But, our first red was served blind, which quickly gave everyone the impression of deviance. The sweet California fruit reinforced those perceptions, and revealing the label on the 1991 Ridge Zinfandel Lytton Springs confirmed matters. The sweet fruit was of course there, but it was working its way to mellowed maturity. Perhaps it will get there eventually. The Ridge was a wonderful match with the Cowgirl Creamery Red Hawk, a cheese that elicited plenty of Massengill jokes from Msr. Yaniger. Everyone’s a comedian and everything…
Waiting for dinner, we opened the 1989 Jean Deydier Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Clefs d'Or, which had apparently received very Few Points on release. Huh. Who would’ve thunk it. This was very nice and plenty of sweet and Southern Fruit for my tastes, but I guess it was in that well-balanced and well-framed register that doesn’t often win Points. Not the most complex Châteauneuf, but it was plenty fun to drink.
Much more fun to drink in fact than the 1988 and 1986 Domaine du Trevallon which had way too much brett for me. I brought these bottles and was looking forward to them. But, the two vintages were very similar and not very appealing to me at all. Others seemed to derive more enjoyment than I did, making laudatory comparisons to Musar. That should tell all.
Instead, I took re-pours of the 1990 Mas de Daumas Gassac Rouge which was a big mouthful of dark black fruit framed by a very nice minty acid structure. This probably went well with the Man-Sized Pork Chops some of the others were eating, but I was focusing on the mushroom and pea risotto (Spring IS here I tell you)..
To cleanse the palate before – and after – Stuart’s flaming Habanero Sauteed Pineapple (he took no mercy at all), the 1995 JJ Christoffel Erdener Treppchen Riesling Auslese ** was a lovely lacy drink. We all thought it was peaking in a well-balanced not-too-heavy-on-the petrol moment, with enough fruit to still wrap around your tongue. But, at times it hinted at more to give. Who cares. Either way, it was fun.
As was the evening.
But even those vaguely ripe and flavorful mangoes make a great background for a few habaneros, lime juice, onion and cilantro. Chopped and slathered over a grilled fish, it's pretty wonderful stuff...